Camilla Luddington wasn't sure Matthew Morrison was going to be able to pull it off.
When the former Glee star was cast on Grey's Anatomy towards the end of season 13 as her abusive husband Paul, the actress wasn't convinced that he'd be able to portray enough menace to bring to life the man so terrifying that he caused Jo to run away and change her name to keep him from finding her.
"I remember when he got cast last season, and I was a huge fan of Glee and a huge fan of Mr. Schue. And I was wondering how I could possibly hate him as a character," she told E! News.
Of course, during his one episode appearance last season, viewers didn't get a chance to see the two share the screen, as it was her boyfriend Alex (Justin Chambers) who tracked the guy down in Los Angeles to get some idea of what they were up against. But as the final moments of last night's season 14 fall finale revealed, Paul's come to Seattle now that Jo's filed for divorce and when the show returns in the new year, it'll be time for her to face her demons. Literally.
"There are some incredible episodes coming up," Luddington teased. "He plays someone so unlike himself. It's kind of interesting and fascinating. I can't wait for viewers to see the work that he's doing."
Naturally, the episodes ahead will take a closer look at the abuse Jo suffered at the hands of Paul, and Luddington admitted that the writers are handling the sensitive subject with the utmost of care. "Whenever you do a storyline like this, it's really important to tell it correctly," she said. "Shondaland—ABC and Grey's Anatomy, they team up with organizations that help really inform them that they're telling the story correctly, the right dialogue's being used, because obviously we're telling a story, we're sending a message out, and it's important, definitely, to get it right."
Paul's arrival is sure to throw a wrench into the good thing that Jo and Alex have going on, but Luddington said that she's got home the couple will overcome. "Now that she is divorcing [Paul,] I think that they're going to stay together," she added. "I mean, it's Shondaland, so anything you think that someone stays together, something crazy happens and it all changes, but I'm rooting for those two to stay together, have some babies."
Grey's Anatomy returns on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. on ABC.